Steve is an accomplished businessman and educator. He has a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, an MBA from the University of Virginia and a DBA from the University of Florida. As a Clinical Professor at UF’s Warrington College of Business, he teaches classes in entrepreneurship, marketing, real estate and sales. His areas of research interest includes salesperson performance, salesperson influence, entrepreneurial firm development and entrepreneurial exit. Steve was the recipient of the 2019-2020 UF Warrington College of Business Undergraduate Teacher of the Year Award.
Prior to joining the faculty at UF, Steve had a successful corporate career that included senior executive positions at Progressive Insurance, Great American Insurance and Anthem, Inc. as well as a CEO position with a specialty insurance company in Atlanta. Having spent much of his corporate career acquiring, merging and turning around distressed businesses, he focused on a similar strategy in his later entrepreneurial pursuits. Since acquiring his first business in 1998, Steve and various partners have started or acquired over 25 businesses.
As a part of his entrepreneurial strategy, he received his real estate license in 2001 and spent several years as a small-medium enterprise merger and acquisition intermediary. He later joined Keller Williams Realty as the Co-Founder of Tufts Realty Associates, an Award-winning Atlanta-based luxury real estate team. Following his early success in luxury real estate, Steve became the Founder and Operating Partner of the Atlantic Partners Group of Keller Williams Realty offices, with 9 locations and over 1000 real estate agents throughout North Florida. He is a member of the KW University International Master Faculty, a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Florida and Georgia and a Licensed Real Estate Instructor in Florida. He is a Member of the National Association of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors and 5 Local Boards of Realtors in North Florida. He also owns parts of a title company and various other businesses.
Steve is a proud native of Florida, having been born in Jacksonville and spending his childhood on Merritt Island. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, music, fishing, and anything that puts him near salt water. He has 3 adult daughters and 6 grandchildren. He and his wife Barbara are full time residents of Gainesville.